Mooring cleat for boats and the like



June 23, '1 931.

W. D. MCCLELLAN MOORING CLEAT FOR BOATS AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. l0 1930 mama,

Patented June 23 i933 WILLIAM DODSON MCCLELL AN, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA MOORING GLEAT FOR BOATS AND THE LIKE Application filed November 10, 1930. Serial No. 494,718.

The common practice for tying or mooring at a dock, small pleasure boats or craft, such as speed boats and the like, is to provide a rope of considerable length which at 5 one point in its length is secured to a cleat and at another point to the dock and usually there are two cleats one forward and the other aft, each being used with its own rope so that there are two lengths of rope.

m When the boat is in use, the forward rope is carried from the forward cleat and should be dropped in the forward cockpit, running across the top of the deck from the cleat; and the aft rope lies across the aft deck and is carried across the seat in the rear cockpit and dropped to the fioor. For neatness and storage to avoid snarling .or tangling, the rope portions in the cockpit should be coiled and coiling is a disagreeable job in any case and especially so when the rope is wet and the wet rope must be handled. Whether coiled or not the rope lies in the cockpit and isunavoidably "Walked on by the occupants of the boat so that especially when wet, it is apt to be soiled. An occupant of the boat, especially one handling the ropes is apt to soil hishands and to soil his clothes and usuall the clothes worn by the occupants oi pleasure boats are light in color and more or less dainty fastidious so that soiling is es; ecially objectionable. in the case of the aft rope trailing across the seat, those sitting upon the seat soil their clothes "from contact therewith. And besides the annoyances mentioned especially if the rope is not coiled, the boat will present a disorderly appearance and that is entirely out of keeping with the idea of order and neatness in nautical craft my invention, have had all these'objections in View to provide a device which will obviate thorn and which will at the same time greatly facilitate and save time in the docking of small boats and other craft to which it is available.

My invention consists in whatever is dedescrihed by or is included within the terms or scope oi the appended claims.

in the drawings 2- Fig. l is perspective View of the bow of a small pleasure boat embodying my invention; 7

Fig. 2 is a detail View partly in side ele- Vation and partly in longitudinal section;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation partly in cross section.

Described briefly in an introductory way the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings comprises a cleat of usual or conventional form which is secured to the top surface of the boat dock and a spring reel on which the rope is wound or coiled and which is on the underside of the deck immediately below the cleat and the rope end from the reel is carried upward through a hole in the deck and through the cleat with the rope end exposed sufiiciently beyond the top of the cleat to be readily grasped by the hand to draw or unwind the rope from the reel a suitable distance when or docked. The outer end of the rope may be provided with an i enlargement in the form of a knot so that when the rope end is free the action of the spring in coiling or winding the rope on the reel will not draw the end of the rope out of reach through the cleat. It will be seen that such an embodiment of my invention is exceedingly con pact, the exterior of the boat as far as the cleat is concerned oresenting no unusual ap' pearance there is 10 loose or slack rope ly ing across the de A thrown in the cockpit and the ro e w in use is automaticah ly coiled or woun '4 of the way and out of sight beneath the Descrih ng in d tail wlllll', is shown in the drawings ole: 10a is or" usual or conventional form with a plate through which hol ii, are passed through holes in the deck secure the clcat thereto and the same bolts are use c secure the reel to the underside of the de l, passing through holcs in the top plate of the reel bracket or frame. 12. The cleat has a central shank and through that shank and from top to bottom of the cleat a vertical hole 13, passes, of a size to allow the free passage oi the ro e. 14, from the reel below, the boat deck and the top plate of the reel bracket'having holes that register with the hole, 13.

the boat is to be tied which is secured to the bracket side plate.

It will be seen that when the rope is drawn off the reel, the spring tension will be increased and that tension is sufficient when the rope is released to rewind the rope on the drum.

Ordinarily when enough rope is drawn or paid off the reel for docking, the rope, by a half hitch or otherwise, is caught about and secured to the cleat so that the strain or pull on the rope when the boat is moored or docked is taken by the cleat.

lVhile I consider the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings and which I have described in detail to be the most satisfactory embodiment thereof now known to me, it is to be understood that my invention may be otherwise embodied and that all embodiments may not utilize to the full the advantages or benefits which come from that embodiment shown in the drawings.

What I claim is 1. A means for mooring or docking small craft comprising a spring reel secured to an inner surface of the craft hull, a rope and a device on a hull outer surface for holding engagement with the rope, the rope passing freely from the reel to said device.

2. A means for mooring or docking small craft comprising a spring reel secured beneath the deck of the craft hull, a cleat secured to the upper surface of said deck immediately adjacent the reel, an opening being provided through the deck, and a rope wound on the reel and passing through such dock opening to the outer side of the deck.

3. A means for mooring or docking small craft'comprising a cleat on the exterior of the craft hull, said cleat having a. hole leading from its top and communicating with the interior of the hull, a rope passing from the hull interior through said opening to the exterior of the cleat, and a spring-actuated drum situated in the hull interior from which the rope passes directly to the cleat hole.

4. A craft mooring device comprising a -leat on the exterior of the craft body, said cleat having a hole leading through the same, a rope passing through such hole with its outer end exposed for grasping to pull the rope through the hole and rope storage means to which the rope extends from the and unwinding therefrom, the other end of the rope running from. the drum to the cleat with which the rope at adesired point in its length may be engaged.

6. A means for mooring or docking small craft comprising a fixture on the hull exterior having passing through it a rope hole that coincides with a hole in the hull wall and which opens on the interior of the hull, a rope passing through. both holeswith a portion outside the hull exposed for grasping to pull the rope through the alining holes and a spring reel secured to an inner surface of the craft hull immediately adjacent the point where the rope enters within the hull, said reel constituting storage means for the rope entering the hull inmrior through said holes.

7. A means for mooring or docking small craft comprising a spring reel secured directly to the underside of the deck of the craft hull adjacent a hole through the deck frdm the outside thereof, acleat secured to the upper surface of said deck immediately adjacent said hole through the deck, the cleat having a central shank, a hole passing from the top of the cleat through the shank to the bottom of the cleat and registering with the deck hole, and arope wound on the reel and passing through such cleat hole and deck hole to the outer side of the deck.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

WILLIAM DODSON MOGLELLAN. 

